Did Christmas Come Early?

As the holiday season approaches we typically ask you, our members if there is anything new you would like to have at the gym that maybe we’re missing. (Within reason of course) your input is important to us.

In years past we’ve added new climbing ropes, D-Balls, etc. to the line up.

This year we got an early start. If you haven’t already noticed, a couple weeks ago we added some new KB’s and Wall Balls, and as of last week, we have also added a new Concept 2 BikeErg to the equipment, so we now have 5 C2 bikes. And on Friday we had a pile of new Rogue hi-temp Bumper Plates arrive, sets of 10’s and 25’s.
Please DO NOT DROP THE 10’s!!

We have a few more additions on our list, but we do still want to hear from you. Is there anything that you would absolutely love to see? Remember, when we purchase new equipment we look at the nice to have vs. need to have, and what can be used in classes, and by multiple members at once. So while a Air Runner / True Form Runner, might be on your mind, it’s probably not the most practical piece of equipment for us at this time….

Rest Days

Do you take a rest day?

If so how many, how often and what do you do on your rest day?

It may seem like an odd time to talk about a taking a rest day at the start of the week, but Monday’s are the busiest days in the gym and it’s a great time to plan your week. Rest days are a big part of ensuring proper recovery! It’s not that we don’t want to see you at the gym, because we do. But it’s important for you to take a day or even two to rest!

CrossFit.com follows a 3 on 1 off program, this means they do 3 days of workouts, then take a rest day. We all need a day to allow muscle tissue to regrow and allow our bodies to recover from training. At CF Indestri we program Monday – Friday (our weekend classes are speciality programs). We understand that everyone has different schedules and days in which they attend the gym. For many of you 5 days on works great! But what you need to monitor is how your responding to training on day 4 or 5. Are you still feeling strong and able to hit the conditioning portions of the workout with the level on intensity that the workout is calling for?

Something that we see happen, is people starting really enjoying coming to the gym, both because of the results they see and the community at the gym. They don’t want to take days off! However this is a problem, and this can absolutely lead to injuries if you don’t properly listen to your body and we do see it happen.

We also keep track of your attendance, and it’s not uncommon if we notice you getting in to an overtraining situation for us to insist it’s time to take a rest day. Again, not because we don’t what to see you. But because we’re looking out for you.

The point is that your body needs rest days. Sometimes it can be an active recovery, going for a hike, a bike run, a trail run, a swim, or even a ROMWOD session. The key is balance, don’t do something that’s going to be high intensity. On a rest day, it needs to be restorative!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a competitive CrossFit athlete or if you train just to get fitter. Keep in mind that more is not always better.

Better is better.

Most importantly learn to listen to your body, and learn to be ok with missing a day. It’s only going to help you get stronger and faster if you allow your muscles a chance to recover.

Festivus

Festivus is coming up on Saturday, April 21st. Which means 2 things. There will not be any classes on that day at the gym. Thank you for your understanding. We are also in need of some judges and volunteers. There is a sign up sheet on the desk at the gym for anyone that is able to help us out for a few hours.

It is only because of your help that we are able to run events like this at our facility, so thank you very much, we greatly appreciate it!!

That’s a Wrap

And just like that the 2018 CrossFit Open has come to an end!

Congratulations to everyone that competed! Whether it was Year 1 or Year 8 for you, each of you should be very proud of your accomplishments over the course of the past 5 weeks! We are very proud of each of you, not only for laying it all out each week, but also for your positive, supportive & encouraging attitudes towards one another!

We would also like to send a huge thank you out to all the judges, CFI coaches, and members who came out each week to support the community.

It was such a great display of athletics & community each week!
Now that the open is wrapping up, don’t stop working hard or on your weaknesses. This last 5 weeks was a chance to find those and now you can work on them!

But right now take this time to celebrate your accomplishments!
Congratulations on completing the 2018 CrossFit Open!

Recovery

How is your recovery after workouts? What do you do to help your recovery? Did you know there are lots of ways that we can help at CFI?

Fuelling

Are you fuelling your body properly for performance and for recovery? Most people actually don’t hydrate adequately or nourish their bodies properly! How can we help? We have a resident nutrition guru. Sarah Messervey is not only a member/athlete in our gym, she is also a Nutritionist who specializes in Keto and Paleo Nutrition. Book time with her in our Recovery Room.

Mobility Class

Sunday’s at 10:30am CFI offers a Mobility Class. Come work through coach led Mobility, targeting the areas that need to be worked on.

ACUFX

CFI also has a resident acu-punk. Jenn Redding is at CF Indestri on Monday’s and Tuesday’s every other week. Offering Acupuncture, Gua Sha & Cupping.

RMT Massage

Member/Athlete Steph Nicksy (Bishop) is our resident Registered Massage Therapist. You can book appointments with Steph throughout the week at in our Recovery Room!

Recovery & Self Care are important, esp. when you’re training. The above are just a few of the ways we can help at CFI. We also have tons of mobility tools, boards, movements, etc. and are always happy to help!

AED

As many of you know we purchased an AED for our facility over a year ago. As mentioned in a blog post last spring. It’s no secret that we had a situation/scare at CFI that prompted the purchase. The AED has had a home directly under the computer at the front desk since we received it Dec 2016. This week thanks to our member, Heater we have a beautiful new custom wood box that will house the AED.

Currently it’s sitting at the front desk, but it will be mounted near the front door of the facility.

Hello athletes,

Been a a little while since I have been able to write you guys,Thanks to Jen for bringing you great content and keeping the Blog fresh.

But when i’m not writing here, I am reading. I have been spending a lot of time lately educating myself on injury recovery, prevention and how to maintain high intensity work with high level skill work while building a strong midline. I have had the chance to talk to some serious Strength coaches while I was in Miami, I have listened and read a lot of work from Strong Fit and Rob Orlando and I just finished reading “The Gift of Injury” by Dr. Stewart Mcgill & Briam Carroll.

( if you want a good read on prevention of back injury this is the best read I think you can find)

So after all of this research whats my Conclusion? How do we stay moving intensely, functional and varied, while still increasing power and speed & keeping our joints/ muscles healthy for life?

For me it comes down to 3 main components:

Mobility & Mind

Accessory Work and Balance

Grunt Work ( Midline stability)

Over the Next week I will touch base on all of these but today I am going to address:

Grunt Work

Sometimes in the CrossFit world, we often forget the ‘constantly varied’ aspect.

More and more I see athletes get caught up in the more glamorous exercises, Such as the Snatch or Muscle-Up. The trend of wanting to practice the moves that make good videos to post on social media is getting more and more popular.

Unfortunately in todays world everyone wants to be ‘instafamous.’ I have nothing against these high skilled movements, and they are vital within Crossfit and functional movement, but there are some less than glamorous exercises that also yield more benefits, and should be used much, much more. At Indestri we have always been strongman enthusiasts, because of the midline work it builds. i still think a D-ball or stone over the shoulder is the best way to teach hip extension.

Most of you know I am a fan of Power athlete movements and a big proponent of programming Grunt work on Sundays. This is because that is the world I came from before CrossFit.

For those who don’t know my back ground, before Paralympic Basketball and my back injury, I spent my time on field, pushing sleds, running tires, doing fire man carries, back squats, bench press, Deadlifts and doing endless sprints. I played football, one of those sports that has a very small life cycle. The demand on your joints and bone structure is extreme. But that is where I will always relate to when trying to solve problems. Power strength training is raw and nothing creates a posterior chain, stable shoulders and midline stability like Power athlete training. Each coach at Indestri has a different set of roots and they will use that to fix holes they see, but I am positive they all know and will testify the benefit of simple work.

WHAT IS GRUNT WORK?

Grunt work refers to the moves that lack glamour, are possibly boring and repetitive, yet necessary, and provide a lot of bang for your buck. Weighted carries are underutilised in athletic development.

Weighted Carries help to build:

Midline stability

Grip strength

Muscular endurance

Posterior Chain

Tenacity

There are several variations of the weighted carry. Here are a few.

FARMER’S CARRY

Probably the most well known and the easiest to execute of the carries. The key to this exercise is to use the heaviest weight possible with proper form.

TECHNIQUE:

Choose two heavy kettlebells or dumbbells. Begin with the weight resting on the ground. Deadlift the weights to your sides, while maintaining a flat back and neutral spine. Once you have picked up the weights, you will walk the specified distance while maintaining good posture.

OVERHEAD CARRY

This is the more challenging version of a weighted carry. The overhead carry is also great for building midline stability, but overhead stability and strength as well. Overhead stability translates into a better lockout in the overhead lifts. This move is much more challenging and will require less weight. Choose a conservative (light) weight.

TECHNIQUE:

Start by pressing the weight overhead in a clean and jerk motion. Once the weights have been secured overhead, lock the elbows, squeeze the glutes and abs, and pull the rib cage down. The key to this exercise is keeping the core tight. Now, begin walking and constantly press the weight to the sky.

LOW BELLY CARRY

This is a great drill for keeping the torso upright during the front squat or clean, as well as learning to breathe properly under load.

TECHNIQUE:

For this move, you will only need one heavy weight. You are going to lift the weight to your belly and basically hug your object for the duration of your carry. It may look silly, but your biceps and abs will be screaming by the end.

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Today’s WOD we are going to use carries, Drags and some other unglamorous movements and continue to build midline stability.

The WOD’s today are all about slow and steady, but believe me, your lungs will be in a world of hurt. Focus on keeping the core tight. The goal is to set the weight down as few times as possible. This is not a workout I would suggest to sprint, but more likely pace with a buddy. This will keep you honest and add that extra push.

Fill the Box

We have a nice big empty box in the front lobby beside the calendar, please help us fill this box with new toys/gifts and non-perishable food items to help those in need this holiday season. We would ask that all donations be made before December 16th so we can get them to the salvation army the week before Christmas.

Thank you for your generosity in helping create a special holiday season for those who need our help!